Dear BookLoves,

Oopsy daisy! My apologies if you received two Afternoon Delight posts this week. Human error. My most human error. I'm sorry if I cluttered your inbox!

I had meant to send this letter, so hope you'll read on...

(The Zoom links are the same; click on either one to attend.)

It's time for our monthly gathering, and this time the topic is creativity.

It's a word that can inspire trepidation, if not downright fear. (Or maybe that's just me? Hmm. I doubt it.)

Recently, I've been playing with the idea of creativity, trying to soften it, not put expectations on it, expand the idea of it. I set an intention to be mindful of opportunities to be creative, in unexpected ways, in all ways, all of the time.

One day, as I was writing a letter of support for a friend’s grant application, I was looking at her art, had just been listening to a podcast about self-care and care for others, and my pencil was pulled to write a poem. In the end, it can be read as two separate poems or one interconnected one, read in at least three ways. That was creative!

On Easter weekend, we had decided not to attend large family gatherings, so I wanted something different, simple, bright, enjoyable to lift my spirits. I cooked or baked something new each day. That was creative. And delicious! :)

Another day, I saw a really beautiful piece of art behind someone on a Zoom call. I attempted something similar using the watercolors I bought last year to play with when recovering from surgery. My attempt was pathetic —no really, I'm not just saying that— but gosh I had fun swirling the brush on the palette and page! That was creative.

The more I explored, the more I was reminded that creativity, to me, is a life force, a channel, a flow that's open to me at all times. But I have to open to it. I have to be light with it, not restrictive or controlling. And it will play in a myriad of ways.

I might also say that, to me, creativity is the yin to balance the chaos of life that is yang.

What is creativity for you? And how does it play out?

Maybe you sew. Or bake. Paint. Pile rocks on the beach. Stack wood. Dance. Sing. Arrange and decorate your home. See solutions to problems in your mind's eye. Take photographs. Arrange flowers. Garden. The expressions are limitless!

The call to be creative with others, to join forces, to play and explore is what led me to start these Afternoon Delights. (And I dream of much more...)

Writing is my thing, so that's mostly the sandbox we play in. We'll take a prompt, each explore it in our way and share, both the creation and what we discover through the act of creation.

Most often, it's a case of creating "alone together."

Israeli writer Etgar Keret says, "Writers can't jam."

Alphabet Soup

Writers Can’t Jam

There are so many good things to say about writing. No one can dispute that we writers are lucky bastards, but just because you have things good doesn’t mean you can’t be envious. As a writer, I’ve always envied musicians for their natural ability to collaborate with each other. I like to picture myself sitting in a poorly lit bar with a handful of tale…

Read more

a year ago · 9 likes · 2 comments · Etgar Keret

It might not be quite like a musician can jam, but as a writer, Keret jams with others regularly! In the piece above, he and an illustrator joined forces.

In fact, he does that regularly with an another illustrator:

Alphabet Soup

Streets of Rage

Twenty-seven years ago, a soldier named Asaf Hanuka contacted me and said he was drawing a comic strip for the Israeli army’s official weekly magazine, and he wanted to adapt one of my short stories. Having recently finished my own compulsory military service, and still carrying a lot of unpleasant memories from my time as an inadequate soldier, I was s…

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a year ago · 19 likes · 8 comments · Etgar Keret

Keret also jams with readers, who can submit ideas, situations, opening lines, photos or drawings, and he'll attempt to write a story. How fabulous is that?!

And translation is absolutely a writing jam! Sondra Silverston and Jessica Cohen translate most of Keret's posts, and books.

The expressions of creativity are limitless!

Now, with all of this, are your creative juices flowing? Can you let them run (a little) free(r)?

Share some words or a photo of your creative expression in a comment? I would love that so very much.

And please do come this Saturday, April 23 at 1 pm ET to riff on the theme of creativity, share your thoughts, tell us about the path of your creative river, where it desires to flow. And yup, we'll play with a little collaborative creation in words.

Join the Afternoon Delight

Meeting ID: 892 5282 6610
Passcode: 778007
Confirm your local time here!

Reminder:
There's no cost. No RSVP required. Simply click the link above to attend.
Come exactly as you are, with an open heart, curious mind, paper and pen(cil).

~Lisa

Lisa Carter is Founder and Creative Director of Intralingo, helping authors and translators write and readers explore stories. Lisa brings two decades of professional literary experience, including nine books and multiple other pieces published in translation, and nearly as many years of contemplative and compassion practices to her work. Her inclusive, engaged, caring presence inspires people to share their stories, create new ones and feel truly heard.

Schedule of Afternoon Delights

Friday, May 13 - 12:00 to 1:30 pm - Peace
Sunday, June 19 - 3:00 to 4:30 pm - Light

Pencil them in your calendar!
(All times Eastern. Confirm your local time here. Email reminder with the link will be sent a day or two ahead.)

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